Evacuation claims, chapter elections and Tom Yego’s fair board post

Vol. 38, No. 5, January 29, 1954. 8 pages. View this issue

Compensation for wartime losses led the news. Rep. Patrick Hillings, at JACL’s request, offered claimants a three-way choice to settle the remaining 3,297 larger evacuation claims: compromise settlement, the Court of Claims, or the Justice Department. Mike Masaoka also warned that Eisenhower budget cuts would slow Issei naturalization and urged members to write their congressmen. The front page also reported that Gov. Goodwin Knight appointed Tom Yego, a Placer County JACL charter member, to the board of the 20th District Agricultural Fair in Auburn.

Much of the issue covered chapter life: new presidents in Long Beach, Hollywood, East Los Angeles, Alameda and Albuquerque, plus installation dinners and Haruo Ishimaru’s chapter columns. Sports pages carried news of the national bowling tournament set for Chicago. Bill Hosokawa recalled Seattle JACL’s 1942 report to the Tolan committee, and Larry Tajiri wrote on the Bricker Amendment. Hiroshi Miyamura was honored in Seattle.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Tom Yego Named to 20th District Agricultural Fair Board, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Placer County JACL charter member Tom Yego was appointed by Gov. Goodwin Knight to a four-year term on the board of the 20th District Agricultural Fair in Auburn. Yego, a senior agricultural inspector, is a founder of the Placer County JACL and chairs the Northern California-Western Nevada JACL district council.
• Issei Detained on Return from Japan Paroled to Son, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Berkeley Issei Zensaku Oishi was detained nine days at San Pedro due to his 5-F status from World War I, then paroled without bond to his son. Attorney Mas Yonemura argued that Oishi was no security risk and had attended a JACL citizenship class.
• Four Outstanding Young Men in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four of seven Junior Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Service Awards in Hawaii went to Nisei men, recognizing community work in 1953. The winners include Rodney Fukui of Kauai, Conrad Tsukiyama of Kailua, Yoshio Yanagawa of Hilo, and George Ezaki of Maui.
• Central California Congressman Seeks Qualified Nisei for West Point Candidacy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Harlan Hagen invited Nisei youths from Kern, Kings, or Tulare counties to take preliminary West Point entrance screening tests on Feb. 2. Applicants must be unmarried, have parental consent, and be 17 to 22 years old on July 1, 1954.
• Chicago Issei Graduate from Americanization Class, by Smoky Sakurada, page 4. About 100 Issei received diplomas from the third Americanization class in Chicago, with speaker Dr. John Lapp addressing the graduates. The Resettlers Committee also reported employment challenges for younger Issei and efforts to provide home-work for Issei women.
• Keguchi Heads Long Beach JACL Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Fred Ikeguchi, a real estate and insurance agent, was elected president of the Long Beach-Harbor District JACL chapter, succeeding George Nakamura. He is widely known among Issei and Nisei circles and was closely involved in forming the local Japanese community center.
• Hollywood Chapter Picks Endo as President, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Arthur Endo was chosen to lead the Hollywood JACL chapter for 1954, succeeding Arthur Ito. The new cabinet met with regional director Tats Kushida to plan 1954 calendar events.
• Coffee-less Wednesdays Quickly Come and Go, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The East Los Angeles JACL elected Wilbur Sato as 1954 president at a general meeting held at the International Institute. A new board of councillors was selected for approval by the incoming cabinet.
• Tom Haratani to Head Alameda JACL Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Tom Haratani was named president of the Alameda JACL chapter, and National JACL Director Mas Satow will install the 1954 cabinet at a Sunday event. The new cabinet includes several vice presidents and officers.
• Assemblyman Coolidge Addresses Watsonville CL, by P.C. Staff, page 4. State Assemblyman Glenn Coolidge spoke to about 45 persons at the Watsonville JACL installation, covering state government setup, the new budget, and liquor control. Robert Mizukami also reflected on the chapter’s history.
• Feb. 2 West Point Testing Notice and Calendar Items, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Calendar items announced upcoming JACL events including installations, bowling tournaments, and district council meetings for early 1954. Events were listed across multiple chapters.
• Miyamuras Honored in Seattle, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Medal of Honor winner Hiroshi Miyamura and his wife Terry were honored at a Seattle program welcoming 250 new citizens. Mayor Allan Pomeroy presented Miyamura with a key to the city, and the JACL chapter gave him a silver platter.
• Albuquerque CLers Pick Mrs. Hashimoto as President, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Mrs. Ruth Hashimoto was chosen to lead the Albuquerque JACL chapter for 1954, succeeding Charles Matsubara. Other officers were also named.
• Chapter of the Year: Livingston-Merced Recognized, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. Livingston-Merced JACL took second place in the Chapter of the Year awards for regular meetings, a 63 percent Pacific Citizen subscription rate, and community projects. Congratulations were extended to the chapter’s officers, including new president James K. Kirihara.
• Three Chapter Installation Ceremonies Held in January, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. Installation dinners for San Benito County, Southern Alameda, and Watsonville chapters were held this month with new presidents Shoso Nakamoto, Sumi Kato, and Bob Manabe. The author praises the Southern Alameda practice of honoring an outstanding JACLer each year.
• Sacramento JACL Plans District Council Bowling Tournament, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. The Sacramento JACL is preparing for the combined District Council meeting and sixth annual bowling tournament on Feb. 13-14. The author encourages newly elected chapter officers to attend.
• Nisei Students Win Student Leadership Posts, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Marilyn Uyeda became the first Nisei girl elected student body president at Campbell Union High School, while Johnny Nakamura was elected at Petaluma High. Paul Hoshiko Jr. was named Young Man of the Year in Greeley, Colorado.
• Sakamoto Honored in Ritual, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Sacramento and other chapters held installations, with Haruye Nakamura selected as the northern Wyoming nominee for the Pvt. Ben Masaoka JACL memorial scholarship. Chapter honors were presented to recognized members.

National

• Hillings Proposes Three-Fold Election to Settle Remaining 3,000 Evacuation Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Patrick Hillings introduced an amendment at JACL’s request offering claimants three options to settle the remaining 3,297 larger evacuation claims: compromise settlement, Court of Claims determination, or Justice Department adjudication. Hillings argued the bill was fair and urged its enactment to compensate the wartime losses.
• Eisenhower Budget Cuts Hurt Issei-Nisei Projects, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. Mike Masaoka, JACL Washington representative, criticized budget cuts to the Justice Department affecting immigration, naturalization, evacuation claims, and alien property. He said the reductions would slow naturalization of Issei and urged JACL members to contact their congressmen for increased funding.
• Return of Land Given in Wartime by Japanese in Hawaii Sought in Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Delegate Joseph Farrington introduced legislation creating a Special Land Commission to review returning lands in Hawaii that Japanese organizations transferred to government entities during World War II. Mike Masaoka called it a special bill addressing a special situation.
• Issei Retirees in Japan Face Living Expense Difficulties on Social Security, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Umakichi Tsukada of Seattle reported that Issei retirees living in Japan receive U.S. social security payments but struggle with living costs. A bill was introduced to cut off overseas social security payments.

Military & Veterans

• The Nisei and the Pacific War, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka reviews Col. Sidney Mashbir’s book I Was An American Spy, which documents the vital contributions of Nisei intelligence specialists in the Pacific war. He argues every Nisei family should read it to counter the public perception that Nisei served only in Europe.

In-Depth

• Tokyo Mother Proud of Son Home in U.S. Army Uniform, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Toku Tsukamoto of Tokyo celebrates her son Tetsuo, a Japan-born scoutmaster who went to San Francisco and enlisted in the U.S. Army, returning to Tokyo in uniform. The article traces the Tsukamoto family history, including pioneer Matsunosuke Tsukamoto.

Commentary

• Another Cup of Coffee, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Honda reacts humorously to rising coffee prices and proposed coffeeless Wednesdays, comparing it to wartime meatless days. He suggests cafes offer free second refills at 15 cents as a response.
• Looking Back at Early Days in Seattle JACL Report, by Bill Hosokawa, page 7. Bill Hosokawa recalls the Seattle JACL chapter’s last-ditch 1942 report to the Tolan committee documenting Nisei economic progress, which failed to stop evacuation. He also remembers a 1936 San Francisco Mikados basketball trip to Seattle.
• The Bricker Amendment, by Larry Tajiri, page 7. Tajiri examines the Bricker Amendment to limit presidential treaty powers and its connection to the California Alien Land law challenged in the Fujii case. He argues the proposal undermines constitutional balance and international relations.

Sports

• National JACL Bowling Tournament Set for Chicago, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The eighth annual National JACL Bowling Tournament is scheduled for March 5-7 at Hyde Park Bowl in Chicago, with planned events including a queen coronation dance and a dinner awards dance. The tournament schedule and lodging arrangements were also outlined.
• Northwest Classics Bowling Results, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Fred Takagi’s eighth annual Northwest Nisei Invitational Classic in Seattle featured top scores from Pruney Tsuji, Sab Tsuboi, and Carol Daty. Complete winners lists for men’s, women’s, and team events are provided.
• Toronto Mustangs Lose First League Game in Five Years, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Toronto Nisei Basketball Association’s Mustangs lost 52-48 to the Rebels, ending over five years of undefeated league play. The Rebels rallied from a seven-point deficit in the third quarter.

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